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Anxiety

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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Fred22 Paralysed by fear
  • replies: 9

Hi I am starting a new job tomorrow and am terrified I will fail at it or just stuff things up - what can I do?

Hi I am starting a new job tomorrow and am terrified I will fail at it or just stuff things up - what can I do?

JJ_Bell Hello and help with Health Anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hello out there, I have come here because for the last 6 months I have been suffering from the worst anxiety I have ever had in my life. I have previously been diagnosed with PTSD after a traumatic incident 5 years ago. After seeing a psychologist I ... View more

Hello out there, I have come here because for the last 6 months I have been suffering from the worst anxiety I have ever had in my life. I have previously been diagnosed with PTSD after a traumatic incident 5 years ago. After seeing a psychologist I was able to recover from this, and felt much better for about 2 years. But since December, I have struggled with health anxiety. It all started when I become unwell with a virus that made me dizzy. The Dr ordered an MRI of my brain to confirm it was nothing more serious and that came back clear. However, I worked myself up so much, I convinced myself I had MS. I have seen a neurologist who told me, I do not have MS and my brain is healthy. Even after hearing this, I still worry there is something seriously wrong with me. I am getting pins and needles and cold flashes. My heart feels like it's racing. My doctor has told me it's my anxiety, but I can't help worrying I am dying. I have recently been on holidays and had none of the symptoms I listed above, so I guess it is anxiety, but now I'm worried why I can't cope with my everyday life. I am seeing a psychologist, which helps for a time, but I feel like I would need to see her everyday just to cope. I do not want to go on medication as my husband and I are trying for a baby, which also is not working... Has anyone else felt like this? Other than seeing a psychologist, what can I do? I don't want to feel like this anymore. Thanks

LadyCath Anxiety turnsto Anger then to depression in a heartbeat ... work trigger
  • replies: 1

Hi all, So ever since I had an encounter with my manager above me I have been in the worst funk. I know he is a trigger for my anxiety but it is getting worse. Firstly I need to work out how to keep myself angry not become depressed and hopeless. He ... View more

Hi all, So ever since I had an encounter with my manager above me I have been in the worst funk. I know he is a trigger for my anxiety but it is getting worse. Firstly I need to work out how to keep myself angry not become depressed and hopeless. He will say something or want me to change something which is unrealistic or he will treat me like i am an idiot which he does to many of us at work in various ways and I will feel angry for like 30 seconds at most and all of a sudden I am fighting off a flood of tears and often almost refuse to talk to my staff below me or customers for the rest of the day if not longer. The other store managers are wonderful and tell me to not take his comments or attacks on my store personally and to just say "yes sir" until he leaves and to also stand my ground however that is proving much more difficult. I would kill to be able to remain angry for a while rather than shut down. At least until the end of the work day. A bit of history. I have a history of low self esteem and little faith in myself. I take things very personally as I am ocd and a perfectionist. I am proud of my store and think we have done well but he walks in and tells me that all sorts of things are wrong then leaves. He is a very bubbly, talkative, frantic little man who is constantly stressing, constantly moving and doing and is the polar opposite of me. I try to be calm and cool and collected and try to always see the silver lining. He doesn't have a silver lining. Everything to him is a stress and a disaster. Being new to the company he treats me as if i am new to working in general which i take offence to. I've been in retail 15+ years. He has no trust in me and is constantly reminding me of things before even checking if i've done them or not making me feel like he has no faith in me at all. None. As much as the other store managers tell me he does it to them it grinds badly on me. He is very good at his job however... and rather than rock the boat and get him in trouble I'd rather find a way to work with our clashing personalities. I need coping mechanisms. The other day I took my wallet and left my work and personal phone on my desk. I strolled up the road to the vending machine at the local train station to get a can of cola and I stopped ... wondering what would happen if i just got on a train and went away. Leaving mobiles, boyfriend, house, work. Just walk. The idea was there. I am concerned that although I have never done so that I will. Sorry, I talk too much and have few outlets for it. Any advice on how to stop me curling up in a ball at work every time my manager speaks?

PhoenixEmoria Health anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hey, So my anxiety manifests itself as health anxiety; I'm constantly worries whether my symptoms are a sign of something major, like cancer. Currently my fear is ovarian cancer. I'm obviously not looking for medical advice, but more anxiety advice -... View more

Hey, So my anxiety manifests itself as health anxiety; I'm constantly worries whether my symptoms are a sign of something major, like cancer. Currently my fear is ovarian cancer. I'm obviously not looking for medical advice, but more anxiety advice - I have pain in both sides where my ovaries probably are so I should go, but I'm terrified 1. Of the doctor seeing me that way because it's actually terrifying if I need some kind of gynecological thing done, especially due to my already low self-esteem, 2. Of going to the doctors (last time I went he could take my blood pressure coz it was so high from my nerves and anxiety) and 3. If it does turn out to be that. I'm actually so terrified that I'm going to end up sick, but also of going to get checked. It's a horrible cycle and I don't know what to do! I'm more writing this because if calms my anxiety to express it, but also if any one has any tips or ideas on how to continue? Thank you x

SilverLight Broken Brain/ Memory Loss
  • replies: 4

Does anyone else suffer short term memory loss? I just seem to magically forget things all the time... For example my mum told me to leave the gate open to help the laundry dry. The next time I hung laundry out (literally the same 24 hours) I told my... View more

Does anyone else suffer short term memory loss? I just seem to magically forget things all the time... For example my mum told me to leave the gate open to help the laundry dry. The next time I hung laundry out (literally the same 24 hours) I told myself to leave the gate open as I went out and still forgot and closed it behind me on the way back in... I hate this so much..it gets me in so much trouble with employers and makes me look like an idiot... My mum recommended maybe looking for an app like Lumosity to train my brain but it's too expensive:( does anyone know of a cheaper/free one?? Thanks

Jessten Anxiety over being judged
  • replies: 4

I spent the day in hospital in another town I was visiting before being discharged with pain relief and told to follow it up with my gp but to come back to either that hospital or my local hospital if pain doesn't settle. My problem is that I'm in pa... View more

I spent the day in hospital in another town I was visiting before being discharged with pain relief and told to follow it up with my gp but to come back to either that hospital or my local hospital if pain doesn't settle. My problem is that I'm in pain however I'm petrified of going to my local hospital as I have been so many times they ignore me now or I feel as though I'm being judged for wasting their time with comments like oh U have had this before. Or nurses comments like this is ... She is a regular. The last time I went with a friend I got oh it's not for U this time. I have persistent pain before this and don't know if I'm overthinking things and how to overcome my anxiety of being judged

KitEmily University & Social Anxiety
  • replies: 4

University & My Future Stressing Me Out. Originally I started studying a BFA with a local uni, and hated it. My social anxiety really flared up, and I was having multiple panic attacks in class. I felt isolated alone, literally had no friends and cou... View more

University & My Future Stressing Me Out. Originally I started studying a BFA with a local uni, and hated it. My social anxiety really flared up, and I was having multiple panic attacks in class. I felt isolated alone, literally had no friends and could tell the teachers thought I was odd. (Just so you’re aware I have social anxiety, anxiety, and I’m on the autism spectrum). After the worst year of my life at uni I transferred and continued my studies online which I enjoyed. Now I’ve finished my degree and am going to be doing my postgrad Masters, but I am stressing about what uni I will go to. I’ve applied to one local uni (the same one as the one I hated but a different campus) and several really good online unis. Though I love the idea of being online, I would really like to meet new people (face to face and make friends). If I decide to study online what are ways I can actually make friends ? And the thought of studying on campus makes me sick I honestly don’t know if campus study would help me or push me back to how I was before... Thanks Kit

LorelaiLee Struggling to cope with anxiety and insomnia
  • replies: 3

Hi guys, So awhile ago a specific event triggered an episode of increased anxiety and insomnia in my life. I had been sick with the flu and this caused me to snore. My snoring would then wake me up several times a night. This in turn triggered my anx... View more

Hi guys, So awhile ago a specific event triggered an episode of increased anxiety and insomnia in my life. I had been sick with the flu and this caused me to snore. My snoring would then wake me up several times a night. This in turn triggered my anxiety, I began to worry I’d never sleep properly again as every time I dozed off I’d wake myself up ten minute later. I obsessed on it for weeks on end. Nearly three months later my anxiety is still high but seems to have shifted to a new topic. In researching sleep problems, which have occurred on and off through my life, I came across this ridiculously rare disease and now I’m convinced I have it (as if I don’t have enough going on). I know it’s silly but the idea has stuck and I can’t shake it. I think I’m now experiencing health anxiety, something else I’ve had problems with. I’m anxious all day. I’m scared of going to bed at night. I’m tired, irritable and am starting to exhibit other sleep deprivation symptoms too. Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate, I struggle more with communicating and occasionally get tongue tied or mix up words while speaking. I’m tired but when I go to bed, my body/mind seems intent on keeping me awake. When I doze off, I jolt awake again. My muscles twitch sometimes. I guess I’m just looking for confirmation I’m not alone. Are these normal patterns for anxiety and insomnia? My partner is sympathetic but doesn’t struggle with these issues so I feel he doesn’t understand. I’m set on seeing a psychologist, something I’ve never done before. Im glad I have found this community and hope we can help each other through our hard times

shannon_02 My anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi, so this is my first time in one of these chat forum things so I'm still getting use to it Anyway, everyone has insecurities, I'm not trying to get attention and say 'I'm the only one' its human to feel insecure. But I don't know if I'll ever acce... View more

Hi, so this is my first time in one of these chat forum things so I'm still getting use to it Anyway, everyone has insecurities, I'm not trying to get attention and say 'I'm the only one' its human to feel insecure. But I don't know if I'll ever accept and love myself, I haven't physically harmed myself but mentally, if you were to ask me to describe myself all I would say is negatives, I hate the way I look, act, thing, everything. Its worse in public, which is where our little friend called anxiety kicks in. Whenever I'm shopping and looking at makeup or clothes and I see a group of really skinny attractive girls I feel like I'm not worthy to be around them, to look at them, so I always leave or run off to a different section of the store, whenever I hear a group of random people laughing at something I always think they're laughing at me because "oh she looks fat" "she's ugly" 'wtf is wrong with her?" And I start having an anxiety attack, my breathing hitches, I get dizzy, I can't focus, I wrap my arms around myself so I may seem smaller. This happens at school too. When I'm with friends I feel insecure, they're all so so gorgeous and it sucks because I'm the fat, ugly, worthless friend. Lets move on to a different anxiety topic for me, I will always be 2nd place, my older sister is so smart, she has a scholarship and amazing grades, everyone compares her and I. I feel like I have to be smart like her and get a scholarship or I'll be a failure in my families eyes. When I said I didn't want the same scholarship as what she received (hers was for law and I don't want to work in law so what's the point??) Not only my sister but other family members seemed to be upset. I don't get perfect grades and I doubt myself in every subject which makes me believe, why try and be better you're just stupid anyways? My sister is my grandmothers favourite, its been like that for years, no I'm not rude to her, its just something she does, she has a favourite kid and everyone but her can notice it, I get treated like I'm not water, ignored, treated like an idiot by my sister and grandmother and I just will never be good enough! Idk what to do, I'm near breaking point, I will always be the fat, stupid worthless person Why can't I ever be number one for once? Just once! To make my family actually proud of me. Sorry if this was long, I just needed to rant.

feelingalone1234 Should I be ashamed I saw a psychologist for fear of being gay ? Do I need to tell future partners
  • replies: 6

Hi I’m a 30 year old male from Sydney. Following a long term relationship breakup, I went and saw a psychologist. Turns out I have HOCD, a fear of being gay directly linked to my childhood and trauma stemming from my dad and grandmother. while I’m no... View more

Hi I’m a 30 year old male from Sydney. Following a long term relationship breakup, I went and saw a psychologist. Turns out I have HOCD, a fear of being gay directly linked to my childhood and trauma stemming from my dad and grandmother. while I’m now over the breakup. And the HOCD. I’m fearful that if anyone found out I had HOCD they would not want to be with me. Do I have to tell future partners ?